Washing appliance

ABSTRACT

Washing appliance including a body case forming an exterior of the washing appliance, a control panel attached to an upper side or a lower side of a front of the body case depending on a position of the body case selectively, for making various control required for operation of the washing appliance, and a mounting portion for mounting the control panel to the body case, thereby permitting easy operation of the operation buttons regardless of an up/down, or side by side arrangement of the washing appliance, and easy change of a position of the control panel with respect to the body case.

This application claims the benefit of the Korean Patent Application No. 10-2005-0128721, filed on Dec. 23, 2005, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a washing appliance, and more particularly, to an washing appliance which enables easy handling of buttons on a control panel regardless of an arrangement of at least two washing appliances.

2. Discussion of the Related Art

In general, in the washing appliance, there are a washing machine for washing and spinning laundry, a dryer for drying laundry, and a washing and drying machine for washing and drying laundry.

The dryer blows artificially produced hot air to the laundry of which washing is finished, for drying the laundry quicker than natural drying.

Accordingly, the dryer is used effectively in a case the natural drying is not easy, such as, in a rainy season, and becomes popular to busy peoples of modern times, currently.

There are a plurality of dryers arranged at a home (particularly a boarding house or the like), or at a laundry where much laundry is processed.

In this instance, one pair of dryer having the same functions are arranged, or a drum type washing machine and a dryer having functions different from each other are arranged at one pair to form a composite washing appliance.

The composite washing appliance having a related art drum type washing machine and/or a dryer (hereafter called as a washing appliance) arranged in up/down direction will be described, with reference to FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is another washing appliance 2 (a second washing appliance) stacked on a washing appliance 1 (a first washing appliance).

In this case, one of the washing appliances 1, and 2 is stacked on the other due to a narrow space for the washing appliances 1, and 2.

In this instance, the washing appliances 1 and 2 may or may not have the same functions.

However, if the washing appliances 1 and 2 are arranged as above, the control panel 2 a of the second washing appliance 2 is positioned comparatively high.

That is, taking a general height of a user into account, above arrangement of the washing appliances causes a problem in that handling of the buttons on the control panel 2 a of the washing appliance on an upper side is very difficult.

Thereby, it causes customer complaints and deteriorates product reliability.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a washing appliance in which a control panel can be selectively mounted on an upper or lower side of a cover cabinet of the washing appliance, and which enables easy change of a position of the control panel.

Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.

To achieve these objects and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a washing appliance includes a body case forming an exterior of the washing appliance, a control panel selectively mounted to an upper side or a lower side of a front of the body case depending on a position of the body case, the control panel having a mounting portion for mounting the control panel to the body case.

Preferably, the control panel includes bent portions bent at opposite ends of the control panel toward the body case.

Preferably, mounting portions are positioned on inside surfaces of the bent portions.

Preferably, the washing appliance further includes a panel frames mounted to an upper side and a lower side of a front of the body case for attachment of the control panel thereto.

Preferably, each panel frame includes ferrous metal brackets corresponding to the bent portions.

Preferably, the brackets have magnets.

Preferably, the washing appliance further includes a detachable cover panel mounted to the panel frame which the control panel is not mounted to.

Preferably, the cover panel has a shape identical to the control panel excluding the operation buttons.

Preferably, the cover panel includes a mounting portion identical to the mounting portion of the control panel.

Thus, the washing appliance of the present invention has the following advantages.

The user is enabled to make easy operation of the operation buttons of the washing appliance regardless any type of arrangements of at least two washing appliances depending on an available space.

The user is enabled to make easy change of a position of the control panel.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present invention are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiment(s) of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front view illustrating related art washing appliances arranged in an up/down direction.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a dryer in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3A is a front view illustrating washing appliances arranged in an up/down direction in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3B is a front view illustrating washing appliances arranged side by side in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a dryer in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings FIG. 2˜FIG. 3B. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

For reference, the present invention will be described taking a dryer as an example of the washing appliance.

Referring to FIG. 2, the dryer includes a body case 10, a panel frame 20, a control panel 30, and a mounting portion 40.

The body case 10 forms an exterior of the dryer, and protects various outfits.

Mounted on a front of the body case 10, there is a cover cabinet 11 which forms a portion of a front of the dryer.

The cover cabinet 11 has a laundry opening (not shown) in a center of a front for introducing/taking out washed laundry into/from the drum.

Mounted on one side of the laundry opening of the cover cabinet 11, there is a door 11 a for opening/closing of the laundry opening.

The panel frame 20 has a structure for mounting the control panel 30 to the body case 10.

The panel frame 20 includes an upper panel frame 20 a on an upper side of the cover cabinet 11, and a lower panel frame 20 b on a lower side of the cover cabinet 11.

On opposite ends of the panel frame 20, there are brackets 21 perpendicular to the panel frame 20 for easy joining of the control panel 30.

It is preferable that the brackets 21 are made of ferrous material for enabling attachment of magnets thereto.

The control panel 30 has operation buttons, a display window and so on, for user inputting various operation commands including selecting a drying course.

It is preferable that the control panel 30 has bent portions 33 bent toward the body case 10 at opposite ends corresponding to the brackets 21.

The control panel 30 is detachably mounted to the front of the body case 10 on an upper side or a lower side of the cover cabinet 11 selectively.

That is, depending on cases, the control panel 30 is mounted to either the upper panel frame 20 a or the lower panel frame 20 b, selectively.

Specifically, the bent portions 33 of the control panel 30 are joined with the bracket 21 of the panel frame 20.

In the meantime, the control panel 30 has a circuit board (not shown) having various circuitry component mounted thereon for controlling operation of the dryer.

Together with this, there is a cable (not shown) in the control panel 30 having one end connected to the circuit board and the other end connected to a connector.

Mounted on an outside of the control panel 30, there are various operation buttons 31 and a display window 32 connected to the circuitry components.

It is preferable that the front of the control panel 30 has a curvature the same as that of the cover cabinet 11 in view of a fine view.

A mounting portion serves to mount the control panel 30 to the panel frame 20, selectively. In this embodiment, there are provided two mounting portions 40, each for one bracket 21.

The mounting portions 40 are placed on inside surfaces of the bent portions 33 of the control panel 30.

It is preferable that the mounting portions 40 include magnets for easy attachment to the brackets 21 which are made of ferrous material.

The mounting portions 40 may be formed throughout or partly on the inside surfaces of the bent portions 33.

In the meantime, the dryer is provided with a cover panel 50 for covering the other one of the panel frame when the control panel 30 is mounted one of the upper panel frame 20 a and the lower panel frame 20 b.

Though it is preferable that the cover panel 50 has a shape identical to the control panel 30, the cover panel 50 is not required to have the operation buttons 31 and the display window 32 and so on provided to the control panel 30.

It is apparent that the cover panel 50 also has a mounting portions 52 in the bent portions 53 identical to those of the control panel 30.

A process for mounting the control panel of the dryer to the body case will be described.

For reference, it is described that the control panel 30 can be mounted to one of the upper and lower panel frames 20 a and 20 b depending on an arrangement of at least two dryers, selectively.

A process for changing a position of the control panel of the dryer stacked on an upper side will be described, when a side by side arrangement of the dryers is changed to an up/down arrangement of the dryers.

Both the control panel 30 and the cover panel 50 are dismounted from the body case 10.

Then, a cable connected to the circuit board of the control panel 30 is connected to a cable exposed to an outside of the lower panel frame 20 b.

In this instance, the cables at connectors thereof are electrically connected to each other.

Then, the control panel 30 is mounted to the lower panel frame 20 b with the brackets 21.

In this instance, since the mounting portions 40 of the control panel 30 include magnets, and the brackets 21 of the panel frame 20 are made of ferrous material, it is apparent that the control panel 30 is attached to the panel frame 20 easily.

Next, the cover panel 50 is attached to the upper panel frame 20 a so that the upper panel frame 20 a is not exposed to an outside of the dryer.

The cover panel 50 is attached to the upper panel frame 20 a in a way the same as that for attaching the control panel 30 to the lower panel frame 20 b.

Thus, a series of steps for changing a position of the control panel 30 depending on the arrangement of the dryer is finished.

Arrangements of the washing appliances depending on an available space will be described with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B. In this instance, the washing appliances include two dryers.

FIG. 3A illustrates a state in which the other dryer 200 (hereafter called as ‘a second dryer’) is stacked on a dryer 100 (hereafter called as ‘a first dryer’) supported on a floor.

In this case, as described with reference to FIG. 2, it is preferable that the control panel 30 of the second dryer 200 is mounted to a lower side of the dryer 200, i.e., the lower panel frame 20 b.

This is for enabling the user to conveniently use the operation buttons 31 and the display window 32 of the control panel 30, taking a general height of the user into account.

In this instance, the cover panel 50 is mounted to the upper side of the second dryer 200, i.e., the upper panel frame 20 a.

FIG. 3B illustrates a state where the second dryer 200 is horizontally arranged beside (at a right side in this instance) the first dryer 100.

In this case, it is preferable that the control panel 30 of the second dryer 200 is mounted to the upper panel frame 20 a of the second dryer 200.

In the horizontal arrangement case, it is for preventing the user from bending the body or squatting down for operation of the operation buttons 31 on the control panel 30 in a case the control panel 30 of the second dryer 200 is mounted to the lower panel frame 20 b of the second dryer 200.

To do this, both the control panel 30 mounted to the lower panel frame 20 b of the second dryer 200 and the cover panel 50 mounted to the upper panel frame 20 a are dismounted.

Then, the control panel 30 is mounted to the upper panel frame 20 a of the second dryer 200, and the cover panel 50 is mounted to the lower panel frame 20 b.

Up to now, a structure is described with reference to a dryer in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, in which a control panel having magnets at mounting portions is attached to a panel frame having brackets of ferrous material.

A second preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described, in which the brackets are provided with magnets.

Referring to FIG. 4, the dryer includes a body case 10 forming an exterior of the dryer, a panel frame 20, brackets 210, and a control panel 30 having mounting portions 40.

All the elements of the dryer are the same with the dryer in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, except the brackets 210.

The brackets 210 are at opposite ends of the panel frame 20.

The brackets 210 are perpendicular to the panel frame 20 and have magnets 60 having the poles opposite the magnets on the mounting portions 40.

It is preferable that the brackets 210 are made of non-ferrous material, and it is more preferable that the magnets 60 are the same in size as the magnets 40.

This is for accurate positioning of the control panel 30 at the time the control panel 30 is attached to the upper panel frame 20 a or the lower panel frame 20 b of the dryer.

That is, because the mounting portions 40 on the control panel 30 are attached, not to the brackets 210 of a non-ferrous material, to the magnets 60 only, the control panel 30 can be attached to an accurate position of the dryer.

Of the panel frames 20 of the dryer, the panel frame, which the control panel 30 is not attached to, has the cover panel 50 attached thereto.

In this instance, the cover panel 50 is mounted in a way the same as that for mounting the control panel 30 to the brackets 210.

In the meantime, the magnets 60 on the brackets 210 may be replaced with a ferrous material which allows attachment of the mounting portions 40 thereto. This embodiment is close to the first embodiment where brackets are made partly of ferrous material.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventions. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. 

1. A washing appliance comprising: a body case forming an exterior of the washing appliance; a control panel selectively mounted to an upper side or a lower side of a front of the body case depending on a position of the body case, the control panel having at least one mounting portion for mounting the control panel to the body case.
 2. The washing appliance of claim 1, wherein the mounting portion includes a magnet.
 3. The washing appliance of claim 1, wherein the control panel includes bent portions bent at opposite ends of the control panel toward the body case.
 4. The washing appliance of claim 3, wherein the mounting portion is positioned on an each inside surface of the bent portions.
 5. The washing appliance of claim 4, further comprising panel frames mounted to an upper side and a lower side of a front of the body case for mounting the control panel thereto.
 6. The washing appliance of claim 5, wherein the panel frames include brackets corresponding to the bent portions, the brackets made of ferrous material.
 7. The washing appliance of claim 6, wherein the brackets having magnets.
 8. The washing appliance of claim 5, wherein the panel frames include non-ferrous brackets, the brackets corresponding to the bent portions and having magnets.
 9. The washing appliance of claim 8, wherein the mounting portions are the same in size as the magnets of the brackets.
 10. The washing appliance of claim 5, further comprising a detachable cover panel mounted to the panel frame to which the control panel is not mounted.
 11. The washing appliance of claim 10, wherein the cover panel has a shape identical to the control panel excluding operation buttons.
 12. The washing appliance of claim 11, wherein the cover panel includes at least one mounting portion identical to the mounting portion of the control panel.
 13. A washing appliance comprising: a body case forming an exterior of the washing appliance; panel frames respectively mounted to an upper side and a lower side of a front of the body case, the each panel frame having brackets of a non-ferrous material, the brackets having magnets; a control panel selectively attached to the upper or lower side of the panel frame, the control panel having mounting portions corresponding to the magnets, the mounting portions having the opposite poled magnets.
 14. The washing appliance of claim 13, wherein the mounting portions are the same in size as the magnets of the brackets. 